Nadeshiko Japan’s individual technique and collective brilliance was enough to shock the world 10 years ago at the 2011 Women’s World Cup.
Now, the rest of the world has caught up — leaving Japan struggling to figure out what’s next.
Friday night’s 3-1 defeat to Sweden in the quarterfinals of the Tokyo 2020 women’s soccer tournament was not wholly unexpected. Sweden, which took silver in Rio de Janeiro five years ago, arrived at Saitama Stadium on the back of a flawless group stage, including wins over the reigning world champion United States and podium contender Australia — both of whom needed extra time to reach Monday’s semifinals.
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